Approaches to the Family

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  • Created by: kmerr1
  • Created on: 18-05-18 13:38
Functionalist View
Functionalists - The family is a basic building block to a good society - Based on value consensus - Prefer the nuclear family as it performs all necessary roles - Family also meets needs of welfare, military, political & religious functions etc.
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2 x Functionalist Sociologists
Murdock and Parsons
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Murdock
Family performs 4 essential functions: 1) Stabilisation of sex drive – by having the same partner, the family prevents a social disruption of a sexual ‘free for all’ 2) Reproduction – no society without this 3) Socialisation – teaches youth norms &am
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Criticism of Murdock
o Arguably performed just as well through other types of family or institutions o Ignores dark side of the family – rose-tinted view – not everyone is happy with the role of the family e.g. Feminists & Marxists – not a value consensus o Feminists
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Parsons'-2 types of family structure
1) Nuclear Family 2) Extended family
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Parsons' - 2 types of society
1) Modern industrial society - nuclear family dominant 2) Traditional pre-industrial society - extended dominant
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Parsons' -2 essential needs for industrial society:
1) A geographically mobile workforce, 2) A socially mobile workforce
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Parsons' Nuclear family has 2 main functions:
Primary socialisation - Stabilisation of adult personalities
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Marxist View
-Society is based on conflict NOT value consensus - Family is used as an ideological state apparatus - Louis Althusser - The nuclear family is most dominant because it is the most effective at meeting the needs of capitalism – it’s used as a tool ^
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Marx's 3 main function of family
1) Inheritance of property 2) Ideological function 3) A unit of consumption
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2 x Marxist Sociologists
Marx and Engles
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Marx
- Families are the only agency of primary socialisation – they are the creators of a false class consciousness as they have an ideological function– they create hegemony - Examples of this is norms of hierarchy & authority, inheritance, etc.
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Feminist View
Feminism - There is a Dark Side of the family – domestic abuse – usually against women - Little has changed – men & women still unequal – women are subordinate - ^ Oppose views like Wilmott & Young’s – women do more men – figures from Ann Oak
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Murdock and Parsons

Back

2 x Functionalist Sociologists

Card 3

Front

Family performs 4 essential functions: 1) Stabilisation of sex drive – by having the same partner, the family prevents a social disruption of a sexual ‘free for all’ 2) Reproduction – no society without this 3) Socialisation – teaches youth norms &am

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

o Arguably performed just as well through other types of family or institutions o Ignores dark side of the family – rose-tinted view – not everyone is happy with the role of the family e.g. Feminists & Marxists – not a value consensus o Feminists

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

1) Nuclear Family 2) Extended family

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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